Michael211

My Feedback: (1)

Is this normal/typical? I bought the P51D "Marie" from Nitro Hobbies about 3 months ago, but haven't actually had time to put it together so it's been sitting in it's box in my home office this entire time. When I 1st received it I checked everything out and found only 1 flaw... one of the winds had the center-rib ply tab broken off. I've read that THAT is unfortunately rather common on these models and that the fix is to epoxy the broken piece back on and then double both tabs up with 1/8" ply and cut the bulkhead these tabs sit in to accomodate. So I can work with that.

However, I took it out of the box to look it all over again the other day and to my horror I discover that the paint on the cowling it peeling pretty badly all over... this thing's never even seen fuel yet! Ughhhh! That cowling was gorgeous when I 1st opened it and checked everything 3 months ago... does everybody's cowling paint peel off this fast? []

- Michael

opjose

I've never had paint peel off the cowling.

I have had the trim come off as well as the covering after being repeatedly exposed to Nitrofuel.

I would recommend that you apply Top Flite Clear Coat to the entire plane.

It will stop the trim and paint from coming off.

"Buff" the plane first with a PLASTIC dish pad, the apply several coats.

Buff again once dry.

Michael211

My Feedback: (1)

Hmmmm.... too late though. It's never seen fuel and yet it's already peeling. The cowl paint *was* really gorgeous too, dangit.

Out at the local flying field this weekend a guy had a H-9 Mustang .60 and it too had lots of peeling paint on the cowling. He said it had started peeling just shortly after he'd begun flying it.

The factory in China that paints these things must not be cleaning the fiberglass very well before applying the paint. []

Your tip about the clear-coating of the covering is a good one though. I'll keep that in mind before I start flying this bird.

- Michael

opjose

Consider sanding and then repainting the cowl if possible, then applying a clear sealer coat, before it is exposed to Nitro.

Doing this now is much better than having to do it later.

Michael211

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks but I have no idea what kind of paint to use or how to match these colors... I'm thinking about trying to carve a cowling out of balsa and covering it instead. I've made balsa cowlings in the past with good success but never tried to fashion a P51 cowling before.

If I was better with fuel-proof paints it would be different, but I'm only experienced with enamals and was never that good when I was building static display models really.

- Michael

opjose

Most of the TopFlite colors are GREAT matches.

I've been able to get exact matches by looking at the TF covering colors then ordering the corresponding paints.

e.g. I used "circus pink" for the Nitro Planes PINK Ultimate 1.20 Biplane.

sanshu

i don't know if you guys can help me but i'll give it a try!
i painted my mustang gt-r with some tamiya paint monday, and it's already peeling.
do you know any tips for removig it all?
if not, do you think if i do another coat on it do you think it's gonna peel again?
thanks!

opjose

I don't know how flexible the Tamiya paint is when it dries.

The TopFlite stuff is pretty good and holds up pretty well w/o cracking.

Are you talking about the cowl alone or the whole plane?

If the whole plane exactly what did you paint over? Wood? Covering?

Michael211

My Feedback: (1)

I don't know anything about that paint you used, but you can't apply a 2nd coat on top of an already peeling coat and expect anything but a total mess! However you have to strip it back down to the base before starting again.

Good luck!

- Michael